Trailer hitch



M y 1949. R w. BARRIINGTON 2,470,842

' TRAILER'HITCH j Filed Dec. 6, 1946 2 Sheets-Shae?) 1 In uenlor Am meys 1949. R. w. BARRINGTON 2, 70,842

TRAILER HITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1946 In uerftur 67297071 RaierZWfiarr A no rney:

Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a novel construction of hitch for connecting a trailer vehicle to a draft vehicle and more particularly to a trailer hitch adapted for use with trailer vehicles having four or more wheels and including two front steering wheels.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch adapted to be connected to the front steering wheels of a trailer vehicle for causing said wheels to be steered by the draft vehicle so that the trailer vehicle will substantially follow in the path of the draft vehicle in making turns and by means of which the trailer vehicle may be readily backed and caused to turn in the same direction that the draft vehicle is turned in backing.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the invention shown attached to the rear end of a draft vehicle and to the forward end of a trailer vehicle, parts of said vehicles being shown or indicated by broken lines;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the trailer hitch and with certain of the parts of the draft vehicle shown in section taken substantially along a plane is indicated by line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, partly in horizontal section, of a portion of the trailer hitch and associated parts of the trailer vehicle, and

Figure 5 is a cross sectional View taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1 and on an enlarged scale.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating a preferred adaptation of the trailer hitch, designated generally 6 and comprising the invention, a portion of the rear end of a draft vehicle is shown in Figure 1 in dotted lines at l and includes a rearwardly extending apertured coupling link 8. A portion of the forward end of a trailer vehicle 9 and the front wheels l0 thereof are likewise shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Additional parts of the trailer vehicle are illustrated in full lines in Figure 1 including the front axle ll having stub axles l2 projecting from the ends thereof and on which the wheels III are journaled. The stub axles I2 are mounted to swing horizontally relatively to the axle H by means of the vertically disposed pivot I3, and each of said stub axles is provided with a rearwardly extending lever [4 which projects from the inner, pivoted end thereof and which may be suitably connected to or formed integral with its associated stub axle. A tie rod I5 is disposed transversely of the trailer vehicle 9 and substantially parallel to the axle II and is pivotally connected adjacent its ends at I6 to the rear, free ends of the levers I4, for connecting the wheels H] to cause said wheels to turn in unison. As best seen in Figure 2, a length of angle iron ll is welded or otherwise secured at 18 to the intermediate portion of the tie rod [5 and has a perpendicular forward side to which an upwardly extending pin I9 is welded or otherwise secured at 20. A journal plate 2| is welded or otherwise secured to the upper side of the intermediate portion of the axle H by welds 22 and is likewise provided with an upstanding pin 23 which is suitably secured thereto. As seen in Figure 1, the plate 2| has an arcuate, convex forward edge which protrudes substantially forwardly of the axle l l and a substantially straight rear edge which is disposed behind but adjacent to the axle and spaced a substantial distance from the angle iron I! and the tie rod 15.

The trailer hitch 6 comprises a tongue having a forward portion formed by a length of pipe or other tubular member 24 to the forward end of which a pair of bars 25 are welded or otherwise secured at 26. The bars 25 are disposed on the outer side of the pipe 24 and at the top and bottom thereof and extend from the forward end of said pipe and are provided adjacent their outer, free ends with aligned openings 21. The free ends of the bars 25 are adapted to be disposed above and beneath the coupling link 8 and with the apertures 21 thereof aligning with the apertures, not shown, of the link 8 for receiving a coupling pin 28, by means of which the trailer hitch or tongue 6 is pivotally connected to the draft vehicle I for swinging movement in substantially a horizontal plane.

As best seen in Figure 4, a pair of bars 29 are welded or otherwise secured at 30 to the outer side of the pipe 24, adjacent the rear end thereof, and have free ends extending rearwardly therefrom and provided with aligned apertures 3|. The bars 29 are disposed at the sides of the pipe 24 and substantially in horizontal alignment. A length of channel iron 32, forming the rear end of the hitch or tongue 6 has a forward end disposed between the rearwardly extending, free and has a portion of its base resting thereon and said base portion is provided with an opening 35 to loosely receive the journal pin 23. The channel member 32 is provided with an upstanding sleeve 36 which is welded or otherwise secured to the base portion of said channel member as seen at 31 and which is disposed to surround the opening 35. The pin 23 extends loosely through and to above the sleeve 36=and is provided with a threadedq'upperends A downwardly tapered bushing. member 38* is disposedin the sleeve 36." and-betweensaid sleeve and the pin 23 and forms a bearingf-or-lthepinw A nut 39 threadedly engages the. upper end .of the pin 23 and bearsagainstetheJ-upper end-of thebushing 38 for urge ingzit downwardlyinto the sleeve 35 for holding therpin'. 23 against, play or other movement with respect to the sleeve 36 andthechannel memher- 32.; It willcbe readilyobvious that thelnut requireda 1 As bestlseen'in Figures 2 and 3, the rear portionaof the; base of [the channel member 321extends transversely across. the intermediate por- 39 'maybectightened to compensate forlwear as tion:. oflthe angle member H and: is provided .in

the base thereof with an) opening for loosely receiving the upwardly extending pin 19 which: Y

extends. upwardlytherethrough into the channel 7 member 32 and through an opening 4| in arcinforcingplate lZ-Which is Welded or otherwise so:

cured. at -.43- to the upper side of the base portlOIlJOfIhK-Zf, channel member 32. A sleeve 444s welded or otherwise: secured to the upper .side of theiplate flgaround its opening Al, and extends upwardlytherefrom to receive .the pin. l9 which prcnjects looselystherethrough and vwhich-is provided with a.- threaded upper end,-disposed above theztsleeve 44.: An :.externally and. downwardly tapered bushing-145, corresponding to the bushingi38nis disposedin the sleeve i l and-between said. sleeve and .pinul9 and is urged downwardly bycanut 46;.lWhiCh'fiS disposed thereabove and onthe threaded-upper .end of the pin IQ, for the same :purpose as heretofore described in. refer:- ence;to the:bushing.38 "and: nut. 39.

Fromrthe foregoingit will be readily apparent thatzthe hitch :6 maybe readily interposed-be tweencthezrear end of the draft vehicle '1 and;

thezforward ehdiof the trailer vehicle :9 for ,con-

neetingrsaid' rvehiclestogether and. so that the" traileravehicles 9' will be drawn behind the-(draft vehicle I whenl-the latter: is moving in a forward.=direction.';'-The coupling pin: 28 permits the tongue 6 to swing relativelytothe coupling link 8 when therdraft vehicle! is turned, It will be readily". apparentrthat 'when the draft vehicle] is moving;forwardlyandds turned, that the forward end of the tongue 6 will be swung thereby in the direction that the draft vehicle is turning for swinging the rear end of the tongue on the pivot 23 in the opposite direction, to thus cause the wheels IU of the trailer vehicle to turn in the same direction as the draft vehicle so that the trailer vehicle will substantially follow in the track or path of the draft vehicle.

It will also be readily apparent that the hitch or tongue 6 will effectively control the direction of movement of the trailer 9 when the draft vehicle 1 is backed to prevent the connection between the'vehicles from buckling as frequently occurs with ordinary trailer hitches and also to permit the draft vehicle to be turned and backed with the assurance that the trailer vehicle will be caused to turn in the same direction.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a trailer hitch,-,in combination'withta drafts;

vehicle havingua rearwardly; projecting coupling link and a trailer vehicle having front steering-ram wheels connected by a tiev rod, an:=.elongated-.

tongue, a coupling; pin :connecting said .tongue 1 trailer vehicle and disposed substantially:perpen -,;i

dicularly thereof'and towhioh said..:tonguep-is pivotally connected adjacenmitsr. rear end; and .s, means for pivotally connecting .saida'tongue to Li, the tie rod rearwardly of saidpin, said lastemene tioned pivotal means andxsaid pin providingpivots'; forpermitting the swinginglwmovement. of said-2; tongue in substantially a horizontal .planemandn; whereby the tie rod will be moved laterallyrofn, the trailer vehicle, when theqtongue is pivoted on; said pin, for. causingdthe steering-wheels a of thetrailer vehicle to be turnedin the sameldi- 1' rectionnthat theiforwardendx of vthe tongue is moved, said trailer hitch being provided with aderz. justable. .Wear. compensatingmmeans associated. with the journal of said-pin. and of saidnpivotali. means to prevent reciprocatingmovement of the hitch relatively to the trailer :vehicle, said wean compensating means including an: upstanding sleeve. fixed to thetongue and in whichthe pim is loosely disposed, anrexternally. tapered bushingw extending into the upper end of thesleeve and inwc which. the pin is journaled, and adjustable means for 'urginglthe bushing. downwardly into the sleeve;

ROBERT W. BARRINGTON. u

REFERENCES CITED. f

lhe following references :are of record .in the. file-of this patent:

UNITED STATES- PATENTS Number Name" Date 1,577,788 Cole Man-23,, 1926 1,603,931 Amundensom; Oct;'19, 1926"" 

